Geek Cruises started about two years ago, with a trip for Perl programmers.
It was so successful that Bauman’s added other computer specialties, including
Java programming and Linux. “Certification Sail,” as he calls the MCP
cruise, is his latest offering. It’s a seven-day excursion in November,
starting in Tampa, Florida and meandering in Cozumel, Mexico.

“In the olden days, once you passed the MCP test, you could expect to
get a 10 percent bump in pay from your employer,” says Bauman. “And by
and large, you had to pay for it yourself. If you have to pay for it yourself,
would you rather spend 40 hours in Idaho or the Caribbean?”

The cruise has three full days at sea, and that’s when the majority of
the training is done. Each of those days is spent in training from 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. The program is aimed at helping attendees pass two of the core
MCSE tests: 70-210, Windows 2000 Professional, and 70-215, Windows 2000
Server. “We’re going to push them hard,” Bauman says of the students.

How hard, though? Wouldn’t it be easy to be distracted on a cruise ship?
Not for his target audience, according to Bauman. “There are rooms on
the ship that don’t have windows, and that’s probably where I’ll run this.
When you’re at sea, geeks tend to be bored. [They] find this to be the
ideal use of sea time. In Alaska, sea time is beauty time. In the Caribbean,
all you see is ocean. You just don’t need to keep seeing it.”

Cruise ships have another aspect conducive to learning, Bauman points
out: They’re largely cut off from the outside world. “Beepers and cell
phones don’t work at sea.”

Although the Microsoft certification track starts out small, offering
just the two tests, Bauman says, “There’s a 100 percent chance I’ll be
doing more certifications.” He’s currently looking into .NET certifications,
which will likely be released later this year or early next.

So, what could be better than getting your certification in the Caribbean?
Getting the boss to pay for it. Bauman even has suggestions for how to
approach your employer. “Word is spreading that these are high-end cruises.
The cruise itself is very inexpensive, typically $1,000, including food
and room for seven nights.”